Grey Forest to add stop signs to temper traffic

Published 4:39 pm, Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Grey Forest motorists will soon have to hit their brakes more often, but not because the city is lowering its speed limits.

City Council on Oct. 23 backed off a suggestion to reduce the 20 miles per hour limit on the city's interior streets and instead approved the addition of stop signs at five intersections.

Those intersections include:

Park and Bluebonnet

Hillside and Lookout Mountain

Hillside and Grey Forest Drive

Lovers Lane and Grey Forest Drive

Sherwood and Grey Forest Drive

Council made the unanimous decision after driving various intersections around the city and consulting with the police chief about the situation. Some on the council said they've been involved in near-accidents on the narrow roads.

Most Popular

“I don't want the residents to think that they're the ones being punished,” Police Chief C. E. “Bubba” Rutledge said. “They're the ones having to live through it. However, it's being done because of the amount of traffic that's increasing in this city, from visitors coming in, contractors coming in, who aren't as familiar with these roads as most residents are.”

Councilman Mitch Thornton, who had initially favored reducing speed limits, said during the meeting that he believes stop signs can help prevent an accident at the intersections.

In some cases, overgrown bamboo makes it difficult to spot oncoming traffic at the sites. The city has trimmed it in some areas, including the intersection of Park and Hilltop, but Thornton said a larger effort may not be needed.

“If we can place the signs properly, we may never have to tackle the bamboo, because it's going to be an ongoing (issue.) The stuff grows so fast,” he said, adding that the city can reconsider the topic if it's still a problem.

On another issue that's received much discussion, the council set a date for an in-depth talk on a revised animal ordinance for Nov. 27 at 6:30 p.m. Citizens are invited to the public meeting at City Hall, where they can hear about a draft ordinance under consideration.

In other news, Mayor Ron Reinhard recommended that the city's Junk Pickup Day, scheduled this month, be reset for a date next February or March due to the recent departure of a public works official.

The council also heard that the city is receiving a $13,708 refund from a CPS Energy program that was terminated earlier this year. Reinhard said the city is considering using the money from the Community Infrastructure and Economic Development to provide electricity to a pavilion at the Sen. Frank L. Madla Jr. Natural Area.